TPS Terminations Continue. So Does Our Fight.
Summer is here, it’s hot outside, and it’s the time of year that the U.S. Supreme Court issues its final rulings for the term. In a 6 to 3 decision, the Justices allowed the end of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program for Haiti and Syria, a devastating blow to immigrant communities nationwide. Although Nepal's TPS designation was terminated earlier this year, many Nepali TPS holders remained hopeful that lower court challenges could provide relief. This ruling makes that path significantly more uncertain.
TPS holders have built lives, raised families, and contributed to communities across the country. They deserve stability—not the threat of losing their work authorization, protection, and the lives they have built. Adhikaar remains committed to fighting alongside TPS holders and our coalition partners for permanent protections and a pathway to lasting status. Follow us and Communities United for Status and Protection (CUSP) for additional details.
Take the story of Jenni from New York City, who is ten years old and in fourth grade. She shares, "My mom Tsering is a TPS holder from Nepal and a member of Adhikaar. TPS has allowed my mom to work as a nanny, making other jobs possible for other families, while taking care of my brother and me. I am worried. This administration is deporting immigrants. I am scared that my mom might get deported; it would be bad for me and my little brother, who is two. If she has to go back, it would separate us from the most important person in our lives. My brother and I were born here and have lived here all our lives. We know no other country other than the United States."
As we continue to push for comprehensive immigration solutions and more welcoming policies, we keep moving forward. We take the time to welcome new team members, kick off a Community Assessment, and celebrate the World Cup, in partnership with the Mayor’s Office on Immigrant Affairs.
Everyone is welcome to drop by Adhikaar, particularly now, as we spend the summer redesigning our space and thinking intentionally about how people gather, collaborate, and experience safety. One of the biggest changes is the creation of a larger community area that can better host programs and help people join and train for the fights ahead. Follow us on socials to find out what’s happening.
Data is Political — Community Assessment Begins in June
This June, Adhikaar launched its Community Assessment, our next phase of participatory action research. With leaders representing the broader Nepali and Himalayan community, we will collect data about how the population has changed since our last research project in 2010. Unlike surveys conducted by a university or government entity, this project is informed by the community, administered through organizing, and analyzed by the people who live, breathe, and are directly impacted by the findings.
The Community Assessment will be executed with the support of Adhikaar’s youth group and youth interns, who are building organizing chops and political education. With high voter turnout among young people in the recent city elections, this is an opportunity to help youth understand how to interview, collect, and evaluate data, and inform the policies and programs that will help usher Adhikaar into its next cadre.
The assessment will provide Adhikaar and partners with a deeper understanding of challenges and opportunities— and pathways for realizing the future we envision.
Team Welcomes & Gratitudes
This quarter, Adhikaar welcomed new staff, including Deputy Director Yangchen Donka and Program and Research Associate Naomi Dix, who recently graduated from Sarah Lawrence College. Megha Lama returns to Adhikaar to lead a special project strengthening our Youth and Civic Engagement initiatives. Youth interns Tashi Sherpa and Rani Basnet will be supporting the Community Assessment.
Joining Adhikaar’s Board of Directors, we welcome Susan Hangen, Professor at Ramapo College, who returns to us after a hiatus of 10+ years. Susan served as an advisor on Adhikaar’s first Community Assessment, in addition to fundraising and strategic planning at a critical time in Adhikaar’s first decade. She brings a wealth of academic expertise and community knowledge to the Board. We also introduce public health professional Isha Nirola, who will take on the role as Board Chair beginning on July 1. Isha brings deep professional and personal ties to Nepal, including over 20 years of experience working on large-scale community health systems.
Finally, we owe immense gratitude to outgoing Board Members: Board Chair Astha Sharma Pokharel, attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights, and Seema Agnani, CEO of National CAPACD. Seema shared, “During the pandemic, if not for Adhikaar, I’m not sure the community would have been effectively reached or had access to support. The TPS decisions are really hard for everyone, but Adhikaar has played an important role. I hear about Adhikaar all the time when I’m in DC. I am constantly reminded of the important work the organization does at the national and local level.”
In case you missed it: watch our tribute on International Domestic Workers Day, celebrating the incredible care workers who do the work that makes other work possible, as we continue to fight for dignity, fair wages, job security, and social protection for all domestic workers.
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